Andy Williams sadly passed away on Friday, September 4. To professional wrestling fans, he was best known as ‘The Butcher,’ forming part of the former AEW tag team ‘The Butcher and the Blade.’
Following the news of Williams’ death, Cody Rhodes paid tribute to the late wrestler during an interview with Outkick.
“When I was away from WWE, I actually — him and Blade (also known as Pepper Parks) and Bunny — we had recruited them to do this really fun debut,” Rhodes said. “He came up under the ring and they beat me up, and I definitely didn’t get to spend near enough time with him as a person. But all the things you’re hearing about him in terms of how warm and charismatic and interesting — not a guy that needed the gig, he had another gig, and super cultured and intelligent.”
Rhodes continued.
“And again, The Butcher — you see this big, just the mustache and the tattoos and the muscles. Maybe if you had judged that book by its cover, you wouldn’t know how truly special, intelligent, artistic, and beautiful a person he was.”
Williams, 48, spent multiple years on AEW’s roster, but had been working on the independent scene in recent months. Outside of wrestling, he was an accomplished bassist, playing for ‘Every Time I Die.’
Enjoy Wrestling CEO Issues Statement
Williams was competing at an Enjoy Wrestling show when he suffered a medical emergency on Friday. Kurt Hackimer, the co-owner of the company, has since released a statement.
“Andy collapsed at ringside after his match on Saturday and hit his head on the floor. We carried him to the side where he was attended to by the two doctors we have on staff,” Hackimer said. “I called for an ambulance. At this time, he was conscious but unresponsive. His condition worsened quickly and his pulse faded. Called 911 again to provide an update and were informed that the police were about to arrive.”
Hackimer continued.
“We ended the event and asked the audience to leave. Doctors administered CPR and utilized an AED provided by the police until the ambulance arrived…Medics on site indicated that the symptoms were consistent with a cardiac event, but we were told that the cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.”
Andy Williams AEW Contract Recently Expired
Williams signed with AEW in 2019, making his debut as ‘The Butcher’ and attacking Rhodes along with ‘The Blade’ and ‘The Bunny.’ He later revealed that he’d been signed to the company by MJF.
During his time under contract with AEW, Williams also worked some Ring of Honor shows. However, in June 2026, it was reported that both his and ‘The Blade’s’ contracts had expired. AEW opted against renewing those deals.
Currently, no information regarding Williams’ cause of death has been made public. As Hackimer’s statement noted, an investigation is now underway. As such, we will likely learn more details regarding the situation in the coming weeks or months.
Williams’ family will undoubtedly want their privacy respected at such a difficult time.
Cody Rhodes Issues Statement On Late AEW Star’s Passing